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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24837889">Keeping Appearances</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ouroborosnakes/pseuds/ouroborosnakes'>ouroborosnakes</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Metal Gear</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Dialogue Heavy, Ficlet</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 05:26:51</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>500</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24837889</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ouroborosnakes/pseuds/ouroborosnakes</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Small talk about big things.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Keeping Appearances</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>takes place during mgs4. </p><p>wrote this out and kinda liked it but didn't know what to do with it so i'm just posting as is. it's short, i edited parts to cap it off at 500 words.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>For the fifth time in the last half hour, Snake unwound and redid the bandages around his hand, Raiden watching with unease.</p><p>“Snake... can I ask you a personal question?”</p><p>“Sure.”</p><p>“Why do you let Otacon be with Naomi?”</p><p>“That’s awfully invasive, Raiden.”</p><p>“Still.”</p><p>“He’s an adult, I’m not in charge of what he does.” Blowing out smoke, he frowns deeply and taps off the ashes. “Or <em> who </em>he does.”</p><p>“I thought you two were, uh… <em> partners</em>."</p><p>“It’s business casual. He has no obligation to me, nor I to him, especially in my state. There’s appearances to keep for Sunny but I think she’s smart enough to see.”</p><p>“See what, exactly? That you two don’t love each other?”</p><p>“In this business, there’s no time for love. Surviving comes before anything else.”</p><p>“That’s why you and Meryl didn’t work out.”</p><p>“That’s why you and Rose didn’t work out,” Snake shoots back, clenching his jaw. For a moment, Raiden doesn't respond, Snake picking apart the bloody gauze again.</p><p>"Is she good for Philanthropy?"</p><p>"Otacon started Philanthropy and recruited me - who he wants on the team is his decision. She's a smart woman, I'm sure she'll be resourceful."</p><p>"Poor Sunny," Raiden murmurs after another beat of silence, to which Snake laughs bitterly, quickly turning into a cough. Across the corridor Otacon's head perks up slightly at the noise, though Naomi's lack of acknowledgement when she continues talking takes priority, turning his full attention back to her.</p><p>"Shame the poor kid couldn't grow up with a proper family. Maybe Naomi will be a better parent for her; Sunny's already taken a liking, if you haven't already noticed." Rewrapping his bandages, Raiden watches silently when one of the cords attached to his back beeps, cutting off all conversation in the room. </p><p>Two chairs clang as they bump into each other, followed by a brief, shared laugh. Otacon reaches Raiden first, quickly followed by Naomi, neither of them sparing a glance in Snake's direction and as they start analyzing the data that completed syncing.</p><p>"Oh, Snake - weren't you going to rest?" Not looking up from his laptop, Otacon regards Snake as a second thought.</p><p>"Just about to. I'll check on Sunny."</p><p>"Don't worry, I'll do it." Before he can protest, Naomi is already at the stairs. </p><p>"Were you smoking? Come on, Snake." Grabbing the pack of cigarettes, Otacon sets them behind him and motions for Snake to leave.</p><p>"My bad," Snake smiles, eyes full of heartbreak, then departs with a curt wave.</p><p>"You two look like you were having a nice talk," Otacon says idly, unplugging and replugging USBs into slots on Raiden's exoskeleton. "It's good to see Snake social."</p><p>"Yeah. Same to you."</p><p>"Oh, Naomi was telling me about what she had seen while working with Liquid. She's got a lot of useful insight that I think will really help us."</p><p>"And Sunny seems to like her."</p><p>"Does she?" Otacon smiles, eyes distant. "That's great."</p><p>"Yeah," Raiden mumbles, inhaling the waning scent of Snake's cigarette.</p>
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